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Wing keel conversion begins!

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/06/2003 : 07:42:15

The excitement is beginning to build. My wife and I dropped off Adventurous to the Wing Keel installer on Sunday.

A few observations. We were supposed to leave Saturday morning, but had a problem with our tow vehicle, a 94 F250. Truck starts fine, but when I depress the break, slide the gear shifter to "drive", nothing. It is as if there are no gears, the shifter moves freely back and forth from side to side. <img src=icon_smile_angry.gif border=0 align=middle> I was less than pleased. So Sunday I borrowed my dad's 2003 Chevy Suburban with 7,900 lbs. towing capacity. I was not sure about using his vehicle because I didn't know for exactly what my boat and trailer weighed, having heard estimates ranging from 6,000 to 10,000 pounds. Fortunately, there is a CAT scales really close to the boat, so first thing we did Sunday after we got on the road was go to the scale, pay our $8.00, (what a deal!) and learned the boat and trailer only weighed 6,380 pounds. Granted, EVERYTHING was taken off the boat. Only the boom and am/fm radio were left aboard.

But the Suburban pulled it like a champ. It has a tow-mode that I used. I usually drove only 55 mph, with occasional increases to 60, and once to 65 mph when I wasn't paying attention. I was being conservative though and think the suv could have pulled it easily at higher speeds. Other than the usual precautions of accellerating gently and breaking early, the suv pulled it like it was a much smaller boat.

There were many large hills, and I was able to maintain speed going uphill without having the RPMs go above about 2750. The trip was about 200 miles one way.

Also, thanks to everyone who gave me advise about the bearing buddies. I used the grease gun and checked it early in the trip and the bearing buddies were nice and cool. It was a good trip. As my wife says, "no one died and no one cried."

I should be able to pick the "new" boat up in about a month. I'm so excited!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Ben
Adventurous
#5553
C25 SR/SK
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3ce27b3127cce8fc3c58ee15b0000001010" border=0>

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osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 10/06/2003 : 10:39:13

Ben,

thanks for sharing your story, and I pleased that everything went well for the drive. Now lets hope that the job goes well from the wing keel installer and you can have the boat back home again soon!

I will be interested in your observations on sailing characteristics when you get to sail again (Next year. I think your from Ohio so your season is nearing its end, I'd guess.)

osmepneo came with a wing keel, and was converted by the po. I love it but have no basis for any comparisons.

anyways, good luck.

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk
The Great Sacandaga Lake, NY

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tinob
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 10/06/2003 : 13:15:06

Hi Don,

I can't emphasize strongly enough to anyone contemplating a wing retrofit that they concentrtate on the swings sailing ability. When I did mine I was only interested in having a sailboat that wouldn't sink. It did twice. Then the posts came one atop the other asking that I compare the sailing characteristics of the wing over the swing and all I was ever able to do was scratch my ERRR...head and allow as to my satisfaction that the thing is still floating and the bilge is bone dry.

Heck if I wanted a sailing rocketship I'd have gone for a "J" boat not the cat.

I'll say this now, after seven years(don't hold me to that number)with the wing, she's what a boat is supposed to be and I love her. I am equally sure that any swinger that converts will be as content with their boat as they have a right to be. Just concentrate on her current sailing characteristics and be prepared to analyze the wings ability. You will probably be inundated with requests to do so. I wasn't ever able to do a decent job of it, just being satisfied with small favors.

Val on Calista # 3936

Val Bisagni]<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3df11b3127cce94709c5ff2e90000000010" border=0>

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5908 Posts

Response Posted - 10/06/2003 : 13:42:47

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Heck if I wanted a sailing rocketship I'd have gone for a "J" boat not the cat. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>

Val, don't sell your C-25 short. The C-25 is a rocketship. I've been helping a friend race his J-24 this season, and it's a really fun boat to race and a good performer, but my old C-25 can often outpoint the Js and even outrun them downwind with their spinnakers. I really believe that the old girl would consistently blow them away if she had a spinnaker. The reason why I say that is that I have raced my non-spinnaker tall rig C-25 against a well-sailed tall rig C-25 with a spinnaker, and it easily walked away from me downwind.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

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cch
Navigator

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202 Posts

Response Posted - 10/11/2003 : 12:22:42

Hi Ben,

We are in the same boat?

I picked up our new wing keel last week and delivered it to the boatyard Tuesday. Monday (the 13th) I deliver the boat to start the conversion. Fortunately the boatyard is close (about 10 miles)but my work schedule will not not allow much involvement.

I can't wait to get our boat back, and see how she sails with the new keel. A dry bilge will be a nice change as well. Once the keel is changed we still need to apply a barrier coat, bottom paint and finish a few other projects. Hope to be back in the water this month.

Good luck with your project. Once we are both back in the water it would be great to compare notes.

By the way, we towed our boat for years with a Suburban. Fantastic tow vehicle.

Chris Hunsicker
Panama City FL
Moonglade
80 C25 #2126 sr/sk
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3d636b3127cce8c9d4c83e7890000002010" border=0>

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Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2003 : 17:25:57

Hi Chris,

The guy installing our wing keel said we should be able to get her back sometime in the first half of November, which while exciting, is still many months before we will be able to try her out. I too will have to prepare her bottom with paint and what not before we splash her, something I've never done.

Good luck with yours. I'm remaining cautiously optimistic. Things have gone remarkable well so far. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Ben
Adventurous
#5553
C25 SR/SK
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3ce27b3127cce8fc3c58ee15b0000001010" border=0>

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osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 10/14/2003 : 19:19:36

Chris,

Like we are doing with Ben, we encourage you to share the conversion with the forum, and when you splash, after the keel is painted, to share your impressions of the differences in sailing characteristics.

Good luck both you guys.

Don Peet
c25, 1665, osmepneo, sr/wk

<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3ce31b3127cce8f8c0cbf1bca0000001010 " border=0>
The Great Sacandaga Lake, NY
On the hard

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